Tag Archives: Life

Impressions of the Past

Posted on by under Life

That’s my Grandpa on the right.

Today I spent some quality time with my Grandfather, something I don’t do enough of. He’s someone that I have always looked up to and idolised. Perhaps the best role model someone could ever asked for. To those who don’t know him, he’s just another elderly man, an average person. But to those who know him, he is someone extraordinary. His life has not been without challenge (That’s not to say that he hasn’t been pretty well off for most of it, there’s certainly people doing it harder), but the reason I hold so much respect for him is the way he has faced these challenges and shown resilience in the face of adversary. It’s something that I notice is missing from a big portion of my generation (in western society at least). Resilience.

We have had it good, to a greater extent. We’ve lived with relative peace, security, happiness, and stable wealth to survive. He haven’t grow up with huge adversaries. Sure there are some who are doing it tough, but as a generation we’ve been well looked after. My Grandpa grew up in Germany during WWII, he spent a lot of his childhood evenings in bomb shelters and fearing for the worst. He moved to Australia as a contract worker with the Victorian Railway. At the age of 20. Germany didn’t have a great reputation among the allied nations at the time, that didn’t make it any easier. He’s done well, he’s raised a happy family. He’s shown love and gratitude and care to those around him. He’s also suffered from a spinal injury that has left him very immobile in the past couple of decades. He’s missed out on a lot of opportunities, with his grandchildren especially, because of those injuries. I can tell that it upsets him when he can’t achieve a task or do the activity that he wants to. But he does his best, and he tries as hard as he can to make the most out of what he’s got. That’s what I love about him. I respect that, it’s something to look up to.

What sparked these feelings? Well they’ve been there all along. The reason I wanted to write this is because of a moment today. Where my Grandfather shook my hand and tried to secretly give me money while doing it. He used to do it when I was young. It made me feel all nostalgic, warm and fuzzy inside. It pains me to take it, but he won’t let me decline it. He gives more than he should, and is selfless. My memories with him are only happy.

Blogging Builds Brains

Posted on by under Life, Networked Media

Stars and a power pole. What’s more inspirational than that man? Photo: Lisa Ng

Clever alliteration. Thanks, I know. With the assessment for the blog due in a week, I have been putting some thought into why I blog and what I gain from it. Obviously as part of the requirements for the class, the purpose of the blog is to engage with the relevant content and topics in a thorough and speculative manner. I’d like to go a step further than that and look at the greater and wider purpose of my blog. There’s got to be more to life right? Some divine purpose, holy mission, etc, etc. There is. As I celebrate my 40th blog post, I’d like to think that blogging helps me to reach that purpose.

So, at the end of semester one, I knew that my time had come. It was time to do that thing that so many people do. Defer for a year. Why didn’t I do it straight out of school. I think I wanted to get my degree over with as soon as possible. So why don’t I think that any more? Well, I don’t want my degree to end. Don’t take it that way, I actually do, but I don’t think I’m ready for it yet. I feel there’s a lot more I can put into this degree, and at this moment in my life, I’m not ready to engage with the degree in the most beneficial manner. So I’m going to take a year off. Find my passion, invigorate my brain, get some real world experience. It’s not that I’m not enjoying the course, or doing well enough in it. I’m not happy with doing well though. I want to take advantage of every opportunity that is available to me in this course. Kevin is someone who has done the hard yards, and is willing to get into the mix. He dives right in. To his credit, this is something we can all learn from. It’s something I feel I need a little more confidence to do first. So that’s what I’m going out to do.

Anyway,  let’s nut this down to the point. What this blog has done has created an opportunity for me. Someone who can often have trouble expressing things in face to face communication, this blog has really helped me become more expressive and literate in my communication. It’s also shown me the power of being connected and involved in the network. It’s helped me find things I love, express how much I love them and share it with other people. Sure, it might get 15 views a day. But those 15 views are irrelevant. It’s how it makes me feel on the inside.

I feel empowered at the moment, with a whole load of positive energy. This course has got me thinking differently about everything. I speculate, appreciate, evaluate. I plan, I take more risks and I think of things in a long term sense, rather than acting quickly and irrationally. Everything I do, I put more thought into and notice more. The set up of this class has really helped me and my brain. We’re in a good place now, me and brain.

So you might ask, why defer now when you’re feeling such good vibes man? That’s exactly why I’m going to take a break. I’m taking these positive vibes and continuing to work with them. I’m putting them into life, instead of just my studies. My plan is to continue to use this blog, over the next year and throughout my degree and career. Overall, I feel the best way to use this positive energy is to do some hard work, build some resources and get myself involved with my craft and what I love. I need to produce some work, gain some experience and really stretch myself to explore my potential. When that’s done and the year is up, I’ll come back refreshed, keen and eager. Just as I am now, but with a little bit of confidence, a little bit of experience and a little more backing.

For me, this blog has given me a little bit of confidence and a few handy skills, but most importantly it’s helped me feel creative and find my passions. I love to write, so it works well. How well I write will change as time goes on. Things can only get better. But we’ll see if my plans are a golden dream or whether I can make them happen.

Who am I kidding. Of course I can. I’ve got this, man. Anything’s possible (be realistic). Let’s do it. Thanks Kev for the inspiration.

 

The Cinema

Posted on by under Entertainment, Life

Beauty, atmosphere and experience. Photo: Andrew Tseng

After being a recluse (a cinema-recluse at least) for most of 2012, the last 10 months have seen more cinema action for me then I have experienced in a long time. Why? Well firstly, my girlfriend’s family bought a new TV with a bonus offer of free movie tickets each fortnight, so I don’t have to pay. But more so I think it is because of a reinvigorated love of cinema. The atmosphere in a cinema can’t be replicated, except for in the best home cinemas (I know of one in particular, which may be discussed in greater detail at a later date), there’s just something special about the gargantuan screen – I love a good dose of Vmax – and the engulfing wall of sound that exists in a movie theatre.

I can’t even remember all the films I’ve watched in the last 12 months, but I’ll do my best to recount some of the more memorable ones for you:

Don’t know about any others. Those were the ones that popped to mind. Interestingly enough, I’d be willing to go on record and say they were pretty much all outstanding films (with the exception of the start of The Wolverine being a little arduous). What’s great is the fact that I have been able to really resonate and think on a much deeper level with a lot of these films then I have previously, thanks to a little bit of enthusiasm and interest. I’ve always loved cinema, but recently I’ve really found its my passion – something that I can understand and relate to.

Red One. The future of cinema. Photo: Neilson Eney

I saw Elysium tonight, and while I agree to an extent that District 9 director Neill Blomkamp might be flogging a dead horse in terms of the conceptual thinking (well some critics seem to say so, personally I really like the thinking, you could call it design fiction), Elysium still stands as a film in its own right and shouldn’t be compared to the more creative and alternatively created District 9. The movie had the right level of emotional depth, politics and story to balance off against the high impact and fast paced violence. I didn’t feel like the fighting and action overshadowed the plot or values the movie projected – like a lot of films do tend to do in our highly fantastic and computer orientated industry.

What got me thinking today however was the relation between how we think of cinema and how we think of the essay. Adrian obviously chose to provide Graham’s article on the essay as one of the week 4 readings for a reason. To me after my deep thinking and speculation for the evening, I really feel that effectively this sort of ideology stands true for the film as well. You’d be hard pressed to find a cinema class at a university that focuses on the future of film – or even current film. We’re stuck in this trend of studying the classics. Learning how the classics work, when really, the cinema is heading in a completely different direction. Sure, the classics are the foundations of cinema and they let you understand how the Classic Hollywood, the French New Wave or the  Soviet Realist works (etc, etc). But what about learning how to understand cinema as it stands today, or how its progressing? The technologies behind it, a greater understanding of effects and digital effects. Are we afraid to admit how great an influence special effects has had on the cinema?

Our good friend Peter Jackson once again has a great idea on this. 48fps is the future. Advancing and progressing the art of cinema through contemporary and future technologies is high on Jackson’s important things to do list. Embrace new technology, respect the past – understand its workings – but most of all keep an open mind and embrace the future. It is obvious that cinema studies is intended to be what it is, to understand the classics and film history. But my question is, why isn’t there ever a course on offer that studies cinema as it is today and into the future?

 

Symposium Mark I

Posted on by under Life, The Unlectures

Perhaps this is what the symposium would look like if it were dumbed down and lost a bit of its creative edge. Photo: Maryland Govpics

Promising, real promising. This is what life is all about. Discussion, contributions, feedback, analysis, speculation. The first official symposium contained all of these, plus more. They’re all things I don’t do enough of. It’s really inspiring stuff. Particularly the last points made by Adrian.

It’s about the experience. We’re in an experience based world. Well, we’re not in an experience based world, rather there are experience based “things” in our world. I posted about this earlier on in my blogging career. It’s something I’d like to touch on again. I am a big believer in experience. I buy things, lots of things. I might regret it one day, but I buy lots of things that I am able to use to immerse myself in experiences. They’re material possession’s sure, but I don’t just think of all material objects in the same way. There is a line between material possessions and experiences that is met well by a number of items in the world.

Movies are one thing, books another. Both material possessions, you can collect, buy, sell, trade, keep, etc. But they give you experiences. Some people choose to repeat these experiences and keep them, treasure them. Others choose to sell them after they are finished consuming. Owning a movie to me is not just about the movie, but the packaging, the collectables, what comes with it, as well as the memories.

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies and The upcoming instalments in The Hobbit trilogy are a perfect example of this. They release numerous editions of the film. “They’re grabbing for money!”, some shout. “Peter Jackson wants a new private jet”, others proclaim. I think of immense happiness and joy. The collector’s edition Lord of the Rings and Hobbit extended edition movies are beautiful. The packaging itself is an art. But inside, the statues, work of the famous Weta Workshop, of course, are even more gorgeous.

I don’t just get a movie. I get to immerse myself in the experience of the film. I don’t just buy things that are marked “limited edition”, I want something that goes that extra mile and provides me with such an experience that the over priced tag is justifiable.

It’s the same thing as the Barbershop example I posted about earlier. I want an experience. I don’t want something disposable. I want something that will tickle my senses, evoke memories and provide me with a greater quality of life.

That’s what I took away from this symposium, more than anything. I love experiences, it seems people want that more than ever in the world. To succeed as a person, organisation, etc, we have to provide an experience.

Rising Early

Posted on by under Life, Networked Media

The world is more prosperous and beautiful in the morning. Photo: Ferdi de Gier

Networked Media has had a positive effect on my life after not even three weeks, even if it is just being able to publish and create online media more effectively. The subject has invigorated my senses and enticed me to become more actively involved in my learning, rather than playing the role of the sponge (or in this case, a sea sponge). With my motivation levels at all time highs, I am bursting with useful energy and will power to do extraordinary things, the first of which is something I have never been able to do.. Study.

That’s right, I’m one of those slackers who make it by cruising along without doing anything. I’ve tried to fix the issue before, but I have never been successful. This is different though. I’m feeling rejuvenated and energised. Regardless of other changes and possibilities, having an alternative method of learning introduced has simply increased my energy levels and made me interested in my learning.

What has this done for me? Well, I’ve started waking up earlier. I’ve started going to sleep earlier. My whole day has shifted backwards four hours. This morning I woke up at 530, and hope to do so every morning from now on. After honing in on my habits and my brain function and noticing, I realised that I do my best work in the morning. My brain is fresh and alert and has just come off a nice rest. Perfect for learning, perfect for remembering, perfect for creating. In the evenings, I’ve been through a day of trials already. My willpower is gone.

This morning, before I left for University, I managed to get done more work and note taking then I have achieved in the entire semester so far. Thinking, noticing, adapting, creating. Four things that are essential aspects of not just the world media, but life in general. That’s what I’ve got out of this so far.

Perhaps this style of learning is not for everyone, maybe it is when given a chance. It’s a kind of learning you have to want to do, and invest in. If someone else reads this and realises what I have too, then I guess I’m doing them a credit. Because it really is a positive change to life.

Here’s a bit of reading and advice that won’t go astray:

Morning and Evening Rituals

Arriving on Time

Posted on by under Life

Train train go away. Photo: Leon Rice-Whetton

For the first time this semester (on Monday), I made it to the train station on time for my 1030 Lecture. What was different? I had to get ready a little earlier to give someone a lift to work. But I woke up late.

Interestingly enough, I still made it there earlier than before. But why? I think it’s because I had an external source of motivation. Someone else was relying on me to take them to work on time. The increased responsibility allowed to me act more responsibly towards my own needs as well as the needs of another. Knowing this, perhaps I am externally motivated more so than internally. This is something that I can work on in the future and at the present.

For now, I can reap the rewards of getting to the train on time; sharing a seat with the Award Winning Youtube Superstar Comedian, Mark Koh.

Disclaimer | Background image: Emma Gawen
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